During the thirteenth meeting of the directors of countrywide integrated noncommunicable disease intervention (‎CINDI)‎ programmes in 1996, the advantage of using public health services in noncommunicable disease (‎NCD)‎ prevention within health care reform was discussed. It was agreed that, as a first step, the availability of information in this area should be clarified and priority areas for action identified. To this end, a questionnaire was elaborated and distributed to the countries participating in the WHO CINDI programme; 13 countries responded. ...